Snowplow



Sept. 30, 1930.

F. GETTELMAN sNowPLow Filed Jan. 3, 192'? nnmmunlnmn 2,2 J Z INVENTOR ATTORNEY FREDERICK GETTELMAN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN SNOWPLOW Application mea January s, 1927. semi No. 158,537.

to provide a plow which will operate with great effectiveness and with comparatively little power in snow of any consistency by utilizing new principles which I have discovered in connection with snow plow operation. Y

Snow plows heretofore have generally been of the wedge type, whereby the snow has been compacted laterally to push it from the road and has thereupon formed a barrier against subsequent snow removing operations, or else have been of the scoop type in which the effort has been toraise the snow vbodily from the road and to project it laterally en masse. This discussion omits reference to the rotary type of plow which opcrates on a somewhat different principle but `which it is unnecessary to classify here for the reason that the resent invention is Vconlined to a plow having no moving parts except the blade. I have discovered that it is ossible by the proper design of a snow plow glade to remove snow from the road by an action which does not pack the snow as does the wedge type of plow, and which does not cut masses of snow from the road as does the scoop type. The operationof my improved plow involvesy a shearing action as distinguished from a cutting action. It involves moreover a blade arrangement by which the snow is not lifted in a mass but is broken up, if dry, the particles being hurled laterally from the road, and if the snow is wet it rolls from the blade in tubular fragments. In either event, less energy is required than has heretofore been necessary to displace a like amount of snow by any other method.`

I have also discovered certain advantages in the use of a sheet metal blade having practically no re-enforcement. Heretofore has been 4thought necessary to make plow blades extremely heavy and t'o re-enforce them rigidly wherever the metal of the blade `itself was comparatively light. It is my discovery,

however, that a snow plow blade is far more effective when it is made in a vibratile form.

With a blade so made I have found it possible to operate in snow so wet that it adhered and froze tothe more rigid blades of other devices. The slight vibratile and weaving motion of a blade practically without re-en forcement causes the cracking ff from the blade of any wholly or partially frozen material tending to adhere thereto. Of course, such re-enforcement as does not dampen the vibrations either due to its character or location on the blade is unobjectionable. The device herein disclosed, however, has been found to be very satisfactorily operative without any re-enforcement except such as is necessary to secure the blade to its actuating and controllin connections.

It 'is a further o ject of the invention to provide a s1mple,'novel mounting for a snow plow blade which will be extremely strong as Well as light and will readily permit of the various desirable adjustments of the blade while permitting the blade to yield to irregularities in the road surface.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a device embodylng this invention. 4

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device as it appears in a position for propulsion by a truck or other vehicle.

Figure 3 is a detail view on an enlarged scale showing the mannerjn which a Wear plate is applied tov the device.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The tubular arms 5 and 6 are provided at 7 with clamps engageable with a vehicle axle (or any otherconvenientpart of a truck, tractor, or other suitable vehicle for propellin the device). Arms 5 and 6 are provided wit a cross brace at 8 and diagonal braces 9 and 10, the arms and cross brace' being thereby assembled in light but rigid -unitary manner. Rings k11 are adapted to receivechains such vas that shown at 12 in Figure 2, leading to av arm assembly above described by means of arm extensions 16 and 17 which are receivable within the tubular arms 5 and 6 and are individually adjustable therein, being fixed in any desired position of extenslon by means of ins 18. By advancing one arm extension and) keeping the other retracted as shown 1n Figure 1, it is possible to set the blade at any desired angle, whereas if both arm extensions are retracted the blade may be positioned straight across the road as shownin dotted lines in Figure 1. Ordinarily, it will be used at the approximate angle at which it is illustrated in Figure 1 in full lines.

I will now describe the blade itself before going into detail as to the method of its attachment to the guiding frame above disclosed. The blade 20 comprises simply a single piece of sheet iron or steel of the requisite ength and height. The major portion of its area wholly lacks re-enforcement. At widely spaced points intermediate its ends it is provided with angle iron members 21 which maintain its forward curvature as shown in Figure 2. Members 21 extend from the top of the blade almost to its lower margin. The lower ortion of each such member is tangential w1th reference to the curvature of the blade, and the lower edge of the blade is spaced from the angle members21 by means of an angle iron 22 extendin longitudinally thereof with its apex abuttin members 21 and the margins of its two flinges in contact with the rear surface of the blade member 20, as best shown in Figure 3. A wear plate 25 is secured to the forward surface of the blade 20 in a position to project below its lower margin. The bolts 26 which hold the wear plate 25 in place are also extended through the angle iron 22, and two of them extend through a flange of angle member 21. Where the angle member conforms to the curvature of the blade it is secured thereto by rivets 28.

The wear plate 25 is readily reversible merely by removing bolts 26. Consequently, when the lower edge thereof has worn ofi` it is easily possible to invert the wear plate to present a new surface depending below the margin 'of the blade proper.

The entire plow blade assembly is hingedly and slidably connected with the frame assembly previously described. Angle members 29 simlar to but shorter than members 21 are spaced centrally from the members 21, and

' each such angle member 29 co-operates with one of the `members 2l to support a pintle bar 30 on which a sleeve 31 is slidably and rotat-4 ably mounted. The sleeves 31 in turn are pivotally connected for movement about a vertical axis 32 with the arm extensions 16 and 17 of the frame. The pivot at 32 is necessary because of the relative change of angle with reference to the arm extensions 16 and 17 which is brought about when such arm extensions are telescopically adjusted with reference to tubular arms 5 and 6. i

The sliding connections of sleeves 31 upon pintle bars 30 is made necessar because in the course of the adjustment o arm extensions 16 and 17 the distance between their ends is caused to Vary. It also operates to produce a very desirable result in that the plow is free for a certain amount of lateral shifting movement so that Whether it be inclined one way or the other its forward margin will not project materially beyond that side`of the truck, while the trallinv edge will project a considerable distance beyond its side of the truck. This causes minimum interference with passing vehicles, stabilizes thrusts on the truck, and allows the truck to operate safely near the crown of a roadway While the trailing edge of the scraper is near the curb or ditch.

A limited degree of hinged movement about the horizontal axis of pintle bars 30 is permitted to the blade assembly to enable it to clear bumps or rough spots in the highway which is being'freed of snow. A stop plate 35 is fastened to the inner side of each of the arm extensions 16 and 17 of the frame and is provided with two stop surfaces at 36 and 37, respectively. Powerful tension springs 38 are connected between rings 40 at the upper ends of angle member 21 and a cross arm 39 on the diagonal braces 9 and 10 and also between such rings and the truck or hoist. These springs normally hold the plow in the position in which it is shown in full lines in Figure 2, and in which it is oscillated about pintle bars 30 to a position where it abuts the stop surface 36. If a bump is encountered the entire blade assembly can readily tilt forward against the tension of springs 38 ,until 1t encounters stop surface 37. If the bump or obstacle is still opposing the forward movement of the device the blade will now be tilted to such a position as to tend to ride over the obstacle, and hence will clear it without injury. As soon as the obstacle has been passed the tension springs 38 will immediately draw the blade upright to its normal position.

The angularity of the blade with reference to the road surface is particularly noteworthy. It will be noted that the lower margin of the blade and the wear plate 25 applied thereto are almost at right angles to the highway surface. This is a .radical departure from such scraping blades as have heretofore been used for snow removal purposes and in which, in actual practice, the effort has been to make the blades scoop the snow from the road and lift it to a point on the blade where it can be delivered laterally at an elevation to clear the adjacent level of snow. It Will be noted further that not only 1s the wear plate almost vertical but the chord of the blade is given a very conchine is operating.

, 1y along the curvilinear inclined surface of the blade in the form of light, fluffy and more or less independent particles which are delivered from the machine as if sup.- ported on an air stream. They move from the upper edge of the plow blade 2() in a relatively thin sheet, regardless of the thickness of the deposit of snow in which the ma- If the snow is more compact and wet it will not become disintegrated but it will be delivered from the blade in the form of a curvilinear sheet which in many instances actually curves downwardly into contact with theground and is formed into a tubular roll without breaking. When the snow is in this condition there may be a continuously formed tubular roll which is delivered laterally, due to the angular inclination of the blade with reference to the direction of its travel, and as the machine progresses portions of this roll break off intermittently. It is obvious that the amount of power required to roll the snow in this manner is considerably less than would be. necessary to lift it for any appreciable distance. I have found that it is possible under all snow conditions 'to operate my improved device with far less power than can be used in connection with any other snow removal apparatus with which I am familiar.

In no instance does this device become clogged when used in wet snow or slush. As previously explained there is sufficient weaving or vibration, or Iboth, in the unsupported area of the blade so that any material tending to adhere thereto is cracked od. The blade actually used is made of comparatively heavy metal, but` itA may be referred to as flexible, since, in a sheet of this size, it is sufficiently flexible for the purpose above stated. Metal of a thickness between #l0 gauge and 5 to l@ inches has been used sucecsfully for blades up to four feet 1n height and eleven feet in length, but I do not wish to limit myself to these dimensions. The figures are stated merely to exemplify a suitable embodiment of the invention.

I claim: f

l. As a new article of manufacture, a sno plow blade consisting of sheet metal and of such thinness with reference to its length and height as to be flexible in operation, whereby the' material acted on by the blade will be non-adherent thereto.

2. The combination with a guiding frame, of a scraper blade for acting on the snow,

said blade being made of flexible sheet metal sufficientl thin with reference to its' length and helg t to weave and vibrate in operation, whereby to crack therefrom any particles of snow or ice tending to adhere thereto.

3. The combination with a scraper blade,`

of a-guiding frame including extensible arm portions each of which isuniversally and slidably connected with said blade, stops carried by said arm portions, and a spring adapted to maintain said-blade yieldably in abutment with said stops.-

4. A frame including arms provided with means for clamping engagement with a vehicle, arm extensions forwardly adjustable with reference to each of said arms, sleeves pivoted kto each of said extensions, a blade provided with pintle bars for said sleeves of suchflength that the sleeves are slidable thereon, andmeans for maintaining said blade in a normally operable u right position.

5. A scraper Blade comprising a single piece of flexible sheet metal having widely spaced attaching means extending from top to bottom and having thev major portion of vits area free of re-e-nforcement, a guiding frame adj ustably connected with said attaching means, a stop connected with said frame and adapted to be abutted bysaid blade in any position of adjustment thereof, and a spring connected with said frame and acting i on said -blade in a direction to maintain it erect in contact with said stop.

G. The combination with a flexible scraper blade, of widely spaced angle members extending fromy top to bottom thereof and arcuately curved throughout a portion of their length, said blade conforming to the curve of said members throughout the curved portions thereof and being spaced from said members at their lower extremities, together with a spacing angle supporting said blade from said members at such extremities.

7. The combination with a scraper blade, of a wear plate applied to the lower marginal portion of the blade, a spacing member applied to the rear of said blade opposite to said Wear plate, bolts extending through the spacing member and blade and wear plate, and

blade tiltably connected with a forward portion of said frame, a stop adapted to limit the movement of said blade in one direction, and a spring connecting said blade directly with said hoist and acting on said blade in a direction to force it against said stop.

9. In combination, a vehicle frame, a plow frame pivotally connected with the forward end of the vehicle frame, a plow blade pivotally connected with the plow frame on a horizontal axis, and a spring connected with the blade above said horizontal axis and with said vehicle frame above the pivotal connection of said plow frame with said vehicle frame.

10. In combination, a vehicle frame, a plow frame pivotally connected with the forward end of the vehicle frame, a plow blade pivotally connected with the yplow frame on a horizontal axis, a spring connectedfwith the blade above said horizontal axis and with said vehicle frame above the pivotal connection of said plow `frame with said vehicle frame, and a stop defining the extent of the movement of said blade in one direction about said horizontal axis.

11. In a ,plow structure, a plow blade capable of vibratile action to a degree sufcient to crack oil' adherent material and arranged in scraping relation to a surface to be plowed, whereby scraping action of the blade will cause it to vibrate.

12. A snow plow comprising a curved sheet metal blade portion suiciently thin in proportion to its length and height to be subject to vibration to a degree sufficient to crack oil' adherent material, a support for said blade portion connected therewith in a manner adapted to permit the blade portion to vibrate, and means for positioning said blade portion with reference 4to said support at an angle such that said blade portion will scrape a road surface traversed thereby in a 40 manner adapted to set up vibrations in said blade portion.

13. A snow plow comprising a blade portion of sheet metal of such a thickness in proportion to its length and height as to be adapted to vibrate to a degree sufficient to crack o adherent material, a support for said blade portion connected therewith in a manner adapted to permit of the vibration of the blade portion, and means for holding said blade portion almost upright with its lower margin in scraping relation to a road surface traversed thereby, said blade portion being slightly inclined rearwardly and upwardly from said margin whereby the angle of said blade portion with respect to the road surface scraped thereby will establish vibra tions in said blade portion.

VFREDERICK GETTELMAN. 

